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Despite the dominant narrative of the repression of civil society in China, Jessica Teets argues that interactions between local officials and civil society facilitate a learning process, whereby each actor learns about the intentions and work processes of the other.

Georgetown University China Studies Speakers Series (中国研究@乔治城)

Thursday, January 15, 2015:

Jessica Teets, Department of Political Science, Middlebury College

“Civil Society under Authoritarianism: The China Model

Despite the dominant narrative of the repression of civil society in China, Jessica Teets argues that interactions between local officials and civil society facilitate a learning process, whereby each actor learns about the intentions and work processes of the other. Over the past two decades, often facilitated by foreign donors and problems within the general social framework, these interactions generated a process in which officials learned the benefits and disadvantages of civil society. Civil society supports local officials’ efforts to provide social services and improve public policies, yet it also engages in protest and other activities that challenge social stability and development. This duality motivates local officials in China to construct a “social management” system – known as consultative authoritarianism – to encourage the beneficial aspects and discourage the dangerous ones. Although civil society has not democratized China, such organizations have facilitated greater dialogue between citizens and state as part of politics in an authoritarian system that normally lacks such channels for participation.

About the Speaker:

Jessica C. Teets is an Assistant Professor in the Political Science Department at Middlebury College, Vermont, and Associate Editor of the Journal of Chinese Political Science. Her research focuses on governance and policy diffusion in authoritarian regimes, specifically the role of civil society. She is recently the author of “Let Many Civil Societies Bloom: the Rise of Consultative Authoritarianism in China,” published in TheChina Quarterly in 2013, and “Reforming Service Delivery in China: the Emergence of a Social Innovation Model” in the Journal of Chinese Political Science in March 2012. Dr. Teets was recently selected to participate in the Public Intellectuals Program created by the National Committee on United States-China Relations (NCUSCR), and has a book entitled Civil Society Under Authoritarianism: The China Model forthcoming with Cambridge University Press (May 2014).

If you have any questions about this event, please contact Professor James Millward at millwardj@georgetown.edu.